That might be a stretch after just one good game against a very good team, although what the Bruins accomplished Saturday night shouldn’t be diminished: Holding San Jose’s deep offense to no goals and only 26 shots, with two of their top defensemen out of the lineup, was the most impressive aspect of the 1-0 win that made the B’s just the second team to beat the Sharks in regulation in their 21 games at home.

For obvious reasons, the Bruins’ goal was to try to move from one extreme to another at San Jose. After getting whipped in Anaheim (5-2) and Los Angeles (4-2), both times after falling behind 3-0, the B’s had to concentrate mainly on playing defense against the Sharks – especially with Johnny Boychuk’s return to Boston for personal reasons depleting a defense corps that has already lost Dennis Seidenberg until next season.

The defensive mission was largely accomplished. The Bruins gave up more chances than they’d have liked in the first period, but after two straight sub-standard efforts (he lasted only 22 minutes in LA), Tuukka Rask made 12 saves over the first 20 minutes, and the B’s increasingly found their footing after that.

Now, we’ll see if the Bruins can build on what they hope they re-established – team defense and goaltending – and address an issue that lasted throughout the road trip: They didn’t score. The B’s managed only five goals over three games, and none came from the top two lines or the power play, which went 0 for 9.

The defensive and goaltending aspects are and will remain most important. Few NHL teams can score at will and the Bruins aren’t in the group. As has been the case in coach Claude Julien’s 6½-year tenure, the idea is to limit opponents to a goal or two, and score two or three themselves.

That’s been a chore in the first seven games without Seidenberg – six of which Rask has started, but only four of which he has finished. They’ve allowed 21 goals over those seven games – about one per game more than when Seidenberg was in the lineup – and two of the three teams they’ve held to two goals or fewer – Nashville and Winnipeg – are below the playoff line. The other four teams beat the B’s for at least four goals.

Saturday’s win proves, to some extent, that the B’s can still buckle down when they must. Then again, the law of averages suggests the Sharks are bound to lose at home at least occasionally, and their offense also isn’t what it would be if Logan Couture, Martin Havlat and rookie Tomas Hertl weren’t injured.

Page 2 of 2 - The Bruins’ defense and goaltending will continue to face significant tests, with Toronto (home, Tuesday) and Dallas (road, Thursday) on tap this week, before consecutive holiday weekend matinees against Chicago and Los Angeles.

Those first two opponents should give the Bruins a chance to pick up their production. The Leafs and Stars are both in the bottom third of the NHL in goals-against average (tied at 2.98), largely because they’re willing – probably too much so, in the eyes of their coaches – to put offense over defense and trade scoring chances. It can be fun to watch, but as the standings attest, it’s a tough way to qualify for the playoffs.

The return of winger Loui Eriksson (concussion), who had an assist on Carl Soderberg’s goal on Saturday, should help. Eriksson’s comeback begins on a line with Soderberg and center Ryan Spooner, but the B’s know Eriksson can move up if either wing on the No. 2 line (Reilly Smith, Brad Marchand) struggles. It’s an option that’s been missed in the last month.

So another key stretch looms for the Bruins, who managed to stay atop the Atlantic Division despite the 1-2-0 trip. Saturday night was a start, but there’s still work to do.